TAG, YOU’RE IT!

THE 2020 RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY CLASS TAKES SHAPE AS THE TAG DEADLINE APPROACHES

The 2020 tagging season is upon us Turtle Ball Times readers. Teams throughout the league are reviewing their current roster heading into the 2020 campaign and are deciding which players they will bring back aboard with a franchise tag or allow to become restricted free agents. Teams have until December 9th to make their decision as to which players on their rosters will be tagged. Thus far, nearly three dozen players thus far across the league have been designated to receive either a franchise tag or restricted free agent tag. There are some players who were predetermined at the outset of last season to be tagged as a part of a larger strategy by some franchises to save money on a talented young player. However, there are some players who produced unexpected results in 2019 and have earned a tag to be a part of their respective squad’s plan to succeed in 2020. Whatever the case may be, there are several talented players who will highlight the 2020 restricted free agent class while several talented players will be barred from the open market via a franchise tag. This week, The Times has highlighted the talent on the restricted market and what the tag designations mean for each respective club. Check back here up until December 9th for an updated list of restricted free agents and what they could provide to an interested club willing to place a bid.

Restricted Free Agent Class (2020)

Jake Marisnick

The Mets have decided to assign an RFA tag to the 28 year old outfielder before 2020 Free Agency commences. For Marisnick, his tenure on the Mets began back in February 2019 when the Mets decided to pick up the promising outfielder. Over the course of 2019, Marisnick got up to bat 292 times and produced a batting average of .233, a .700 OPS, 10 home runs, 34 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. While Marisnick had the most bat appearances in the previous 3 years, Marisnick produced a mediocre stat lines even with additional opportunities to take advantage of. The Mets tout on of the best outfields in the league with Ryan Braun (LF), Ketel Marte (CF) and Michael Conforto (RF) and may view Marisnick as a quality depth piece could injury strike in 2020. Regardless, the Mets do not have much cap flexibility for free agency in 2020 and must not foresee a hefty contract being offered to Marisnick which they could not match. A team seeking depth for their outfield could put forth an above market bid for Marisnick and may force the Mets hand to relinquish him. Considering how Marisnick played in 2019, the Mets ownership may not lose sleep over losing him in restricted free agency but they nonetheless would rather have him as depth in their outfield than on another team in the league.

Josh Phegley

As a late round draft flier back at the beginning of 2019, Josh Phegley was not supposed to be a major impact player in 2019. Surprisingly, the 31 year old catcher created a lot of buzz putting forth a .239 batting average, a .693 OPS, 12 home runs and 62 RBIs on 314 at bat appearances. While Phegley cooled off significantly at the end of 2019 due to a few injuries which created inconsistent play, Phegley still helped hoist the Baltimore Orioles to the 2019 postseason and the team appears content with bringing the veteran catcher back to help out again in 2020 for the right price. The catcher position is not one of great depth in the league and a team seeking a decent catcher could offer Phegley a deal for 2020. However, Baltimore’s recent series of moves have given the franchise more cap flexibility which means a team eyeing Phegley may need to pony up significantly to price out the Orioles during free agency.

Eduardo Nunez

One of the more veteran players entering restricted free agency, Nunez seems to be in a state of regression heading into 2020. The 32 year old infielder did not have a great outing in 2019 as he put forth for the Red Sox a .228 batting average, a .548 OPS, 2 home runs and 60 RBIs on 167 at bat appearances. With such a paltry stat line, it appears the Red Sox value Nunez’s ability to provide depth (and by depth we mean an emergency option) but are unwilling to replicate Nunez’s one year $5 deal from 2019. Teams strapped for infield depth, or value having an emergency option, could take a flier on Nunez for a relatively cheap price.

Howie Kendrick

Age is but a number for Kendrick as the wily veteran first baseman continued his long career of being a bonafide slugger in 2019. As a late season trade acquisition, Kendrick was a part of cementing a playoff berth for the Baltimore Orioles while also fighting but coming up short in their playoff match-up against the Detroit Tigers. Kendrick’s play is being recognized by the Orioles with an RFA tag to return to the team as a part of their first base platoon with fellow first baseman Derek Dietrich. Over the course of 2019, Kendrick mashed at the plate with a .344 batting average, a .966 OPS, 17 home runs and 62 RBIs on 334 at bat appearances. 2020 will be Kendrick’s 14th season and at 36 going on 37, Kendrick poses some risk for regression or potential injury that comes with signing any older player. However, Kendrick’s at bat appearances spiked for his second most since 2016 and he coupled that with a career high OPS percentage. Gone are the days where Kendrick will see the plate over 400 times, but Kendrick is still a solid contact hitter who will provide a boost to any team’s BA or OPS percentages as he is eligible to play first, second or third base. The Orioles will most likely prioritize matching most reasonable bids for Kendrick but a team seeking to take a flier on Kendrick could pry him away from the Orioles with an above average priced bid for the veteran slugger.

Kevin Kiermaier

Recently, Kiermaier arrived in Boston via a trade with San Diego and along with him was attached a tag for restricted free agency. Boston moved for the 29 year old outfielder in large part because the young outfielder had a bounce back 2019 campaign compared with his disappointing stats from 2018. Kiermaier’s 447 plate appearances were his second most since 2015 and Kiermaier compiled a .228 batting average, a .676 OPS, a career high 55 RBIs and 14 home runs. Ultimately, it will be difficult for any team to acquire Kiermaier as it is difficult to imagine Boston letting go of a player they were fond of and just used assets to acquire. Boston is one of the most cap flexible teams entering free agency so it will require a hefty bid to pry Kiermaier away from the Red Sox. It is difficult to envision Kiermaier suiting up for another team in 2020 other than Boston but perhaps a surprise result is in store for restricted free agency should Boston’s internal strategy change.

Ian Kennedy

Another player who’s changed teams in the past month, Ian Kennedy now resides in Baltimore and brings with him both an RFA tag and an impressive resume. Kennedy, 34, pitched in relief for the Padres and over the course of 63 innings threw 73 strikeouts, a 3.41 ERA, a 1.279 WHIP along with a career high 30 saves. At 34 years old, Kennedy has now pivoted to a relief pitcher and his first year in such a role was efficient and productive. Baltimore traded for the 34 year old relief pitcher in large part because the team struggled to produce saves in 2019. A team in a similar position could be in the market for Kennedy’s save abilities. However, Baltimore’s aforementioned cap flexibility will mean opposing teams will need to offer up a steep bid on Kennedy in order to corral him. Regardless, it could be worth a shot for a team who is starved for saves to start a bidding battle with Baltimore over the savvy closer.

Jose Iglesias

The Twins issued a restricted free agent tag on 29 year old shortstop Jose Iglesias and for good reason. In 2019, Iglesias, who was acquired by the Twins back in August 2019, rattled off a solid .288 batting average, a career high .724 OPS, a career high 59 RBIs and a career high 11 home runs. Minnesota’s early season acquisition of Iglesias paid dividends for the franchise and they appear to be poised to anoint Iglesias their shortstop of the future. However, the club is allowing other teams to bid of Iglesias as a restricted free agent but they possess the funds to retain the promising shortstop. Shortstop deprived franchises could enter a bid off with the Twins as might just win such an affair if they are willing to invest a large bid on a shortstop who is coming off a career year at the plate.

German Marquez

Back in July 2019, Marquez’s name was swirling around the rumor mill as a player who was going to be on the move at the trade deadline. Ultimately, Marquez was moved from the Padres to the Yankees in mid July. In his fourth season as a pro, the 24 year old starter took the mound in 174 innings and threw for a 4.76 ERA, a 1.201 WHIP, 175 strikeouts and 11 quality starts. Marquez had a down year compared to his numbers on the mound in 2018 but at just 24 years old Marquez will be a serviceable second or third starter for any team in the league for several years. It must be noted that Marquez dealt with a few nagging injuries this season which may explain in part why 2019 was a down year compared to 2018. Regardless, the Yankees have one of the youngest pitching rotations in the league and they clearly want Marquez to be a part of that youthful group going forward. Out of the entire restrict free agent class, the Times speculates that Marquez will be the most bid on player because he is just entering his athletic prime and could be a sturdy pillar for any pitching rotation across the league. The bidding war on Marquez will be one to watch as free agency begins.

Adam Jones

Entering the twilight of his career, Adam Jones provided quality depth for the Minnesota Twins in 2019. The 14 year veteran was a late round flier back in 2018’s inaugural draft but proved to have more worth than his draft slot as he had a serviceable season for the Twins. For 2019, Jones saw the plate 485 times and slugged for a .260 batting average, a .728 OPS, 16 home runs and 67 RBIs. Considering Jones age and where he is in his long career, Jones is a veteran hitter who could provide quality depth to any winning bidder this offseason. The fact that Jones is eligible to play at right field, center field and left field increases his stock and will in all likelihood create a small scale bid off for the veteran. The Twins had one of the oldest outfields in the entire league in 2019 with Jones playing with Charlie Blackmon and Khris Davis. Davis has been shipped to Boston this offseason and the Twins have players like Shed Long and Oscar Mercado eyeing more playing time in 2020 and beyond. With that being said, it may be that the Twins are looking for a youth movement in their outfield. Jones could be had for a relatively cheap price because the Twins do not look inclined to keep a player like Jones who may be entering the final years of his career.

Brandon Kintzler

Kintzler, 35, played for the Texas Rangers for most of 2019 after being acquired in early August from the Houston Astros. Pitching in relief for the Rangers, Kintzler pitched on 57 innings producing a 2.68 ERA, a 1.018 WHIP, 48 strikeouts and 17 holds. The Rangers certainly appreciated Kintzler’s 2019 output and assigned him an RFA tag as a result. However, the Rangers have a plethora of pitchers and could view the aging Kintzler as expendable to some extent. Teams searching for holds and keeping their overall weekly ERA down could bid on Kintzler as he held opposing batters to a low average of .215 when they faced him on the mound. Age should not be much of a concern to bidding teams because there are several older relief pitchers throughout the league in their late thirties who provide solid relief outings even at their advanced age.

Jose Peraza

2019 proved to be a journey for the Peraza, 25, as he was traded three times and ended up on the Arizona Diamondbacks when all was said and done. The young shortstop in his fifth professional season had a serviceable season by getting up to bat 376 times and putting forth a .239 batting average, a .631 OPS, 6 home runs and 33 RBIs. Peraza is the definition of a utility player as he is eligible to play not only shortstop but also left field and second base. Statistically, Peraza trended down in 2019 after taking a step forward in his young career in 2018. However, a team searching for a serviceable utility player could make a bid for Peraza who is both young and has shown potential for 15 to 20 home runs a year coupled with a batting average between .280 and .300. The Diamondbacks are trying to figure out their future after a disappointing finish in 2019 and may very well have Peraza a part of their future plans. Engaging in a bid off with Arizona could prove fruitful if Peraza can play to his potential in 2020 as a quality utility player.

Matt Beaty

With only one year of experience under his belt, Beaty, 26, finds himself tagged by the Pittsburgh Pirates and headed for restricted free agency. In 2019, Beaty had a solid first year as a pro putting together a resume which included 249 plate appearances, a .265 batting average, a .775 OPS, 9 home runs and 46 RBIs. Beaty’s ability to play multiple positions should be equally enticing to many teams looking for utility depth. Beaty found his stride in 2019 and could have an even better season in 2020 for any club that may place a winning bid on him in restricted free agency. Pittsburgh is among the youngest franchises in the entire league and Beaty fits right in with the youthful crowd of promising prospects forming in Pittsburgh. Prying Beaty away from Pittsburgh could be a challenge but with so many young prospects on their way to the majors soon for Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh may be persuaded to move on from Beaty because of their depth of prospects making their way up the pipeline for next year and beyond. Potential is a priceless commodity in baseball and Beaty’s potential going forward appears to be on the rise especially for the upcoming season.

Joshua Rojas

Another young batter from Pittsburgh is entering restricted free agency with only one year of experience. Josh Rojas, 25, played both second base and left field for the Pirates in 2019 but did not put forth noteworthy results comparable to his young teammates in Pittsburgh. During 2019, Rojas saw the plate 138 times and came away with a .217 batting average, a .624 OPS, 2 home runs and 16 RBIs. In only his first year, teams can forgive Rojas for not charging out of the gate and becoming an instant impact player in his first year. The question awaiting to be answered about Rojas is if his current team is ready to dump the young prospect after only one mediocre season. Rojas’ plate appearances and hitting mechanics will presumably improve as his career progresses but there is nothing guaranteed in the major leagues. Still, Rojas is only 25 years old and an investment in restricted free agency could prove advantageous to any interested team looking to become younger and cash in on a rookie type player who could be had for cheap. The Times predicts an upswing year for Rojas and an interested team could be in for a pleasant surprise in 2020 when Rojas is up to bat.